6-5 Marlins Victory Ends Mets Winning Streak
MIAMI (AP) — Greg Dobbs' single with two outs in the ninth inning scored Emilio Bonifacio from second base with the winning run Friday, and the Miami Marlins rallied to end the New York Mets' five-game winning streak with a 6-5 victory.
The Marlins scored twice in the ninth off Frank Francisco to win for the ninth time in 10 games. They were coming off an 8-1 trip, the best in franchise history.
The Mets overcame an early 3-0 deficit and entered the ninth on the verge of their fourth consecutive comeback win.
The Marlins trailed 5-4 when Giancarlo Stanton led off the ninth with a double off Francisco (1-2). Stanton took third on a flyout and scored on a single by Bonifacio.
Bonifacio stole second to improve to 17 for 17 this season — the best start in franchise history. After John Buck struck out, Dobbs lined the first pitch from Francisco for a single, and Bonifacio scored without a play.
The walkoff hit was the first for Dobbs since 2005.
Francisco blew his second save in 10 chances. His ERA rose to 6.59.
Johan Santana fell behind 3-0 after one-third of an inning, and the Mets trailed 3-2 before scoring three times in the eighth.
Austin Kearns hit a two-run homer for Miami, his third. Omar Infante — batting second for the first time this season — drove in two runs and had three hits. Mark Buehrle left with a 3-2 lead after 6 2-3 innings, lowering his ERA to 2.81.
Jose Reyes led off Miami's first inning with a catchable triple over the head of center fielder Andres Torres. Infante followed with an RBI single, and Kearns pulled a 3-2 pitch to activate the animated home-run sculpture.
Reyes' hit meant a milestone for New York. The game was the 8,000th in Mets' history, and they've never thrown a no-hitter — baseball's longest such streak.
Three-time All-Star Heath Bell (1-3), who lost his job as Miami's closer after blowing four saves, pitched a perfect ninth and lowered his ERA to 9.28. Before the game, manager Ozzie Guillen said he would give Bell another try soon in the closer's role.
David Wright led off the Mets' eighth with his third hit, a double against Edward Mujica. Pinch hitter Kirk Nieuwenhuis tied the score with a one-out double, and after consecutive walks loaded the bases, pinch hitter Mike Baxter hit a two-run double off Ryan Webb.
Baxter improved to 6 for 15 (.400) as a pinch hitter.
Ike Davis hit his fifth homer in the fifth for the Mets, and Mike Nickeas doubled home a run in the seventh. Wright singled twice and doubled to hike his average to .387.
Santana departed after six innings and struck out seven.
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